Patrick Beverley May Require Knee Surgery

Houston Rockets' Patrick Beverly (R) moves the ball past Indiana Pacers' George Hill during their NBA Global Games Philippines 2013 match in Pasay city, Metro Manila, Philippines, October 10, 2013. The Houston Rockets beat the Indiana Pacers 116-96, after facing off in the first ever NBA pre-season game to be hosted in basketball-crazed Philippines. Photo: Ezra Acayan/NurPhoto (Photo by NurPhoto/Corbis via Getty Images)

The Houston Rockets will be without their lynch-pin for an unspecified period of time. A left knee injury has sidelined Patrick Beverley. Beverley has been earmarked as the starting shooting guard by new head coach Mike D’Antoni. Beverley missed the last four preseason games for unspecified reasons related to that left knee. The start of the regular season is less than a week away. Because of that, the worse news that D’Antoni could potentially receive is that Beverley will need surgery.

Patrick Beverley May Require Knee Surgery

A Huge Loss for the Rockets

Losing Beverley is especially tough for the Rockets and D’Antoni, as Beverley is a tenacious defender. Beverley takes pride in his defensive prowess. That’s something that superstar guard and teammate James Harden cannot claim for himself. Beverley defends the opponent’s toughest perimeter player every night, allowing Harden to concentrate primarily on offense.

The Rockets won’t be good defensively under D’Antoni. There have been rumors and innuendo that defensive strategy was neglected during team practice on at least one of his teams. Complicating matters further is the fact that the Rockets lost Dwight Howard — a stalwart on defense — this past off-season.

Next Man Up

With Beverley out, Eric Gordonwill start at shooting guard. Gordon is not known for his defensive ability or prowess. In that regard, Gordon is just like Harden. Expect K.J. McDaniels to receive a significant bump in minutes, as well.

There’s no word yet on a date for Beverley’s return. Therefore, expect the Rockets to try to break the record for points scored this season. However, expect them to allow the most points from opponents, as well.

There could possibly be far reaching ripple effects from this injury. Look for Houston to be active in the trade market. Given the premium placed on guards in the NBA, expect the Rockets to try to acquire someone to replace Beverley.

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[…] Rockets also have depth uncertainty. Patrick Beverley, who was supposed to start alongside Harden, might need knee surgery. Now, the injury-prone Gordon will start, which forces K.J. McDaniels, who played in only 37 games […]